Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne promises legislation next month to ban corporate and union donations to political parties.Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
The Liberal government is dismissing a call by Ontario's opposition parties for a non-partisan process to reform political fundraising rules, and instead is asking for their input on draft legislation.
Premier Kathleen Wynne promises legislation next month to ban corporate and union donations to political parties and lower individual contribution limits, and she wants to have it in effect by Jan. 1, 2017.
Government house leader Yasir Naqvi has written the Progressive Conservatives, New Democrats and Green Party of Ontario asking for a meeting to discuss the "substantive ideas" they want to see in the draft bill.
The three opposition parties have said they want an independent process to reform campaign finance rules, and don't want to be in the position of simply reacting to legislation drawn up by the governing Liberals.
Naqvi sets out timelines for the bill in his letter, with four weeks of public hearings this summer on first reading, plus another round of hearings in the fall after the bill is amended for second reading.
He also says Ontario's chief electoral officer, Greg Essensa, would be called on the first day of hearings, but the opposition parties say Essensa should lead the process to reform the fundraising rules, not simply appear before a committee.